LOS ANGELES, CA – The WNBA season opens on Friday, May 8th. The Sparks themselves don’t play until Sunday, May 10th. Just like every other team, Los Angeles had to cut down their roster by Thursday, May 7th.
In the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, each team has to have a full 12-player roster and the option to carry a maximum of two developmental spots.
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And the Sparks will open with 13 players for the 2026 season.
With so many key acquisitions made in the offseason, the Sparks didn’t add too many players into training camp. Still, every cut from the roster is heartbreaking. Here are the ones that did not make the team.
CUTS
AMELIA HASSETT (F, 6’3”): Picked by the Sparks in the third round of last month’s draft. An Australian that went to the University of Kentucky.
SEVGI UZUN (G, 5’10”): Turkish player who has played for three teams in two seasons. She last played for the Chicago Sky.
JULIE VANLOO (G, 5’8”): Played 26 games with the Sparks last year after she was surprisingly waived by the Golden State Valkyries in July. She averaged 2.2 points and 1.2 assists with L.A. in 10 minutes per game.
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These are the players that played for the Sparks last year but have left the team for various reasons.
DEPARTURES
JULIE ALLEMAND (G, 5’8”): While she was signed by the Sparks in 2024, she didn’t play until the next season. Allemand didn’t fully return to the team until July 2025 as she was playing in Eurobasket. She proved to be the engine for the Sparks that caught fire in the second half of the season, averaging 5.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in 34 games. Allemand was taken by the Toronto Tempo in the expansion draft.
SARAH ASHLEE BARKER (G, 6’0”): Barker was picked 9th overall in last year’s draft (the pick being acquired through the Kelsey Plum trade) started games early due to injuries. Once the team got healthy, she fell out of the rotation. Her playing time increased towards the end of the season, ending with averages of 3.1 points and 1.9 boards in 34 games. Barker was left unprotected in the expansion draft and was taken by the Portland Fire.
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ALISSA PILI (F, 5’11”): Pili was actually extended a qualifying offer by the team but she did not accept it, leaving her outside the roster for now. But the Sparks hold negotiating rights with her. Pili played five games with the team last season and averaged 3.2 points.
AZURÁ STEVENS (F/C, 6’6”): Stevens finished second in the Most Improved Player race last season, averaging career bests of 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds while shooting .381 from behind the three-point line. She decided to return to a familiar team this season in the Chicago Sky, where she won a championship in 2021.
RICKEA JACKSON (F, 6’2”): In a not-so-popular move amongst the fan base, Jackson was dealt to the Sky for guard Ariel Atkins. Jackson, the 4th overall pick in the 2024 Draft, averaged 14.7 points in her sophomore season with the Sparks.
Here are the players acquired by the Sparks whether through the draft, free agency, or via trade. As mentioned, the Sparks will start the year with 13 players (with one in a developmental spot). A couple of familiar faces have returned to the City of Angels.
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THE NEW PLAYERS
NNEKA OGWUMIKE (F, 6’2”, 15th year, #30): It’s a little weird to call Nneka Ogwumike a “new player” on the Sparks. But Ogwumike is in her second stint with the team that drafted her in 2012. After spending two years in Seattle, the 2016 MVP returns to Los Angeles in hopes of helping the franchise get back to the top.
ERICA WHEELER (G, 5’7”, 11th year, #17): Wheeler played with the Sparks in 2021 as she follows Ogwumike, who she played with in Seattle last season, to Los Angeles. Last time she was here, she averaged a career-best 13.6 points per game. Wheeler said herself that she is there to help Plum in lead guard duties.
ARIEL ATKINS (G, 5’11”, 9th year, #7): Atkins comes from the Sky via the Rickea Jackson trade. She has gotten a lot of accolades over the years, including an Olympic gold medal and a WNBA championship. She will be called on to be a sniper from the outside and defend the perimeter.
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JIHYUN PARK (F, 6’1”, rookie, #6): Park played for the Asan Woori Bank Wibee team in the Women’s Korean Basketball League and won the rookie award for the league in 2019. This will be her first season with the WNBA.
CHANCE GRAY (G, 5’9”, rookie, #2): Gray was chosen by the Sparks in the second round (24th overall) in last month’s draft. She played for Oregon and then Ohio State in college and is known for her three-point shooting and strong defensive prowess.
TA’NIYA LATSON (G, 5’9”, rookie, #0): Considered by many as the steal of the draft, the Sparks were somehow to get Latson in the second round (20th overall). Latson led the nation in scoring in her junior year in Florida State then transferred to South Carolina her senior year in an aim to be a better two-way player. Her defense has certainly improved but her drives to the rim with her downhill speed remains her strength.
LAURA ZIEGLER (F, 6’2”, rookie, #4): The Sparks signed Ziegler to one of the two developmental spots for this season. The Louisville forward also competes for Denmark Women’s National Team as she has played for them in the 2021 and 2023 Eurobasket qualifiers.
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RETURNING
DEARICA HAMBY (F, 6’3”, 12th year, #5): The three-time all-star and two-time WNBA Sixth Player of the Year returns to the Sparks for her fourth season. She has been dependable throughout her tenure as she has never missed a game for the Sparks. Hamby averaged a career-best 18.4 points and 7.9 boards last season.
KELSEY PLUM (G, 5’8”, 9th year, #10): Plum was the lone all-star for the Sparks last season, averaging 19.5 points and 5.7 assists. She hopes to bring the Sparks back to the playoffs in her second season here.
CAMERON BRINK (F/C, 6’5”, 3rd year, #22): Brink’s tenure with the Sparks has been injury-plagued but Sparks coach Lynne Roberts said that this season will be her “springboard year.” If she can stay on the floor, Brink is one of the best defensive players in the league with an improving offense to boot.
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RAE BURRELL (G/F, 6’2”, 5th year, #12): Burrell has taken her game to the next level as she had a career year in 2025, an eye-opening second Unrivaled season, and was part of the U.S. National team for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers. She is counted on to make an impact as a two-way player for the Sparks.
EMMA CANNON (F, 6’2”, 8th year, #32): Cannon is the consummate veteran. She is in her second season with the Sparks and the glue player in the team. Whether mentoring the younger players or making three-pointers, Cannon does her job very well.
SANIA FEAGIN (F, 6’3”, 2nd year, #20): Feagin didn’t play much in her rookie season but when she did, she stands tall defensively and blocks shots emphatically. With some bigs leaving, Feagin is poised to get an increased role with the team.
The Sparks will roll with these 13 players as they open their season on Sunday, May 10th against the reigning, defending champion Las Vegas Aces.
